ABOUT NOOK

The story of Nook could be seen as short since we are a somewhat new company but the reality is that the roads that converged to bring us to where we are today began decades ago in different parts of the country. Those roads wound through custom home building companies, custom furniture shops, television shows, architecture firms, shop classes and dozens of other places. These roads have now converged and the result is Nook Tiny Homes. Master craftsmen, experienced designers, talented builders and skilled tradesmen make up our team that are ready to build you home.

MEET OUR TEAM

Jonathan White

Jonathan started his lifelong interest in travel when he was young, as his military family moved almost yearly, both stateside and overseas, eventually landing him in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. After running his own residential design firm, he and a friend formed Beacon Architecture & Design, PLLC, which focused on designing custom homes, commercial projects, and initial concept planning for developments along the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. At the same time, he worked as a lead project manager for ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and eventually relocated to Austin to work for a custom home builder.

In 2013, he struck out to open his own design-build firm, J. White Design Build and soon after, its separate framing wing, JWD+B Frame/Co. Focusing on select construction projects, he also worked on production projects for Nat Geo and the FYI Networks, all of which were focused on small retreats, dwellings and structures, with emphasis on creative reuse of materials and space…. Perfect roots for a Tiny House company.

Jay Zoern

Born in Chicago, Jay grew up in a suburb of the Windy City and attended Main East High School. This was during an era when shop classes were still a part of high school curriculum. This is where Jay was introduced to woodworking. In 1974 Jay attended Western Illinois University majoring in Industrial Education where his classes focused on drafting, woodworking, plastics, leather and metalworking. He planned on being a teach but his future, like many other students, was unclear.

After college, Jay’s professional life began in sales where he worked, selling products and services for over 20 years. Jay went back to school and studied for the Series 7 tests. He worked as a financial advisor for about 10 years. Feeling unfulfilled, Jay was reconnected with his passion for creating when he went to work for Community Cars.

In May or 2016, Jay opened Z Custom Furnishings, a company that specializes in live edge furnishings for home, office and retail. Sharing shop space with Jonathan White, Jay and Jonathan opened Nook Tiny Homes.

Casey Ingle

A native Texan, Casey grew up in and around Dallas, relocating to Austin in 2010. Always on the move, Casey left school early to help his father framing custom homes, and started quenching his drive to learn different trades and to expand his repertoire by working a number of professions, including working offshore as an apprentice mechanic.

Casey has always had a passion for taking things apart and understanding how they worked. He pulled his first engine out of a car when he was 12 from a 1969 K-5 Blazer, which ended up getting stolen as he turned 16. Needless to say, that loss did not stifle his interest in continuing to build and create, and ensuring our clients are satisfied with his genuine, open approach to their projects. There’s a chance you’ll see him on his Harley, or working on his ’67 GMC pickup in his free time.